Deceased Hope
by foxynaruto
Summary: samurai AU. Summary inside.


**Summary: Sasuke and Naruto are young samurai going to their first battle. What will happen as Sasuke finds himself captured by his evil older brother Itachi? Find out in ****Deceased Hope****.**

**A/N: **So i actually wrote this story for an english project, we had to chose a historical event that happened before we were born so I chose The Battle Of Baekgang. And i have an OC in there. I feel like Sasuke is a bit OOC.

**What you need to know to understand the story: **Nozomi means hope.

_**Enjoy**_

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Deceased Hope

663 AD August 23rd Jeollabuk-do Province, Korea

We had made it to Korea, prepared for battle. By we, I mean Yamato Japan's entire army, two 16-year-old boys known as Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha included. Correction: my best friend and I included.

Dressed in our samurai battle armour, Naruto with his Katana and myself with my Chokuto, we marched onto the battlegrounds. The groups split into pairs as we had practiced. Our partners were ones that complimented each other's strengths. My partner was also my best friend; our leader had often told us that we were probably the strongest pair in the whole army. Naruto was the wind to my fire; he made me stronger, as I made him.

As we marched on for a few more minutes, I could start to see the battle ahead. The sound of swords clashing against armour and battle cries filling my ears. The intense sharp metallic smell of blood filling my nostrils. I was beginning to feel nauseous and by a side-glance at my friend Naruto, he was too. His usually tan skin had paled noticeably and his cerulean eyes had lost their joyous sparkle. I couldn't blame him; this was our first real battle. Sure when we had trained they would recreate a war, but that was nothing like what was in front of us. The stench of the gore and rotting corpses was nothing compared to the occasional accidental cut in training.

Naruto must have sensed me staring at him. He turned his head to watch me, strands of his blond hair falling in front of his eyes. I shifted from my forward facing stance to look at him more directly. Studying his face I saw anxiety and fear. His regularly smiling lips were turned downward at the corners, the three faint scars from a training mishap on each of his cheeks resembling whiskers following suit. He was studying me also: his blue orbs traveling around my face, glancing at my sullen scowl before looking back up to my onyx eyes. I'm sure he saw the remorse in my eyes, the same regretful feeling mirrored in his.

"You okay?" Naruto asked, even though he knew what I was thinking, what was filling me with grief.

"'m fine." I mumbled, shifting my eyes back to the death brawl three hundred meters in front of us.

"It's gonna be okay, Sasuke," he said while reassuringly rubbing my arm, "just stay close to me like we practiced, I'll be there to back you up."

I gave him a weak smile and a curt nod in return, feeling less nervous. I was feeling regret for joining the army. I only did so to get revenge on my older brother, Itachi. He had killed our parents and our entire clan when I was 8 and he only 15, before leaving Japan to join the Tang Dynasty army in China.

There was one upside to joining the army though. It's where I met Naruto. At first we hadn't gotten along well. At all actually, we were always getting into arguments and fistfights. When we were told that we would be partners both of us had complained for weeks. The General had told us that we would either be kicked out for not cooperating or would just have to grow a pair and suck it up. We both chose the later, not wanting to leave because we both had our own priorities. Soon Naruto and I had begun to warm up to each other and realized that we weren't all that different. I had found out that Naruto had lived a life similar to mine before becoming a samurai. Both of us had grown up on our own. The only difference being Naruto had never known his parents. He was told that they had died shortly after he was born, but he didn't know why or how.

That was the reason Naruto had joined the army. He said he had no one to live for, so he might as well make his existence useful.

Our group of five pairs was beginning to proceed. It was time. We were going to actually fight now. The group rushed forward into the blood bath, each member screeched a battle cry in unison. Time slowed around me. I watched as the group chopped down enemy after enemy. Blood splattered through the air as a head landed by my foot. It didn't faze me as Naruto and I kept advancing. Naruto would make the first attack and I would deliver the final blow. Coming to a break in the enemy line, the group stopped to do a head count. We had lost two. I inwardly slapped myself for feeling relief that it wasn't Naruto and myself. Glancing back my breath hitched. There were at least fifty bodies lying motionless on the ground, some with missing limbs, others nearly headless. Another hundred or so were struggling to hang on to life. Awful cries of pain escaping their lips. _Why would you try to hang onto this? _I subconsciously asked them, _this horrible nightmare. _

Naruto nudged my side, turning my attention to the new enemy line that was progressing towards us.

"You ready?" He asked, eyes not leaving our rivals.

"Yeah." My reply shaky, but Naruto didn't question it. Instead we shared a look of understanding. We both knew that there was a possibility of seeing Itachi here.

I had no idea of what happened to my brother after he left. He might still be a samurai of Tang Dynasty. He might have gone rouge. He might be _dead_ for all I know. That's also another reason why I regret becoming a samurai: this could all be for nothing and I might die without killing Itachi and avenging my clan.

Shoving my nerves aside, Naruto and I advanced into the on coming foe. I should've seen it coming. It was bound to happen. I threw myself off my game worrying about stuff with a low probability of even happening and screwed things up. Naruto was in the middle of attacking when another opponent came up from the side. I should've been paying attention. It's all my fault. It's all my fault. _It's all my fault. _

It happened so fast. I was helping Naruto defeat this guy when another one came quick as lightning. Naruto was on the ground clutching his left shoulder, crimson liquid seeping through his fingers and trickling down his forearm. My mind shut down but my body went into autopilot. I was cutting down the bodies in front of me, never leaving Naruto's side, one after the other. I stopped only after everyone around me was on the ground. I turned around at the sound of Naruto's strangled cry of pain. I dropped to my knees beside him, coming off my adrenalin high.

I removed the hand covering the wound. There was a lot of blood, Oozing from a two-inch long and just as deep gash in his flesh. There was a dent in his armour a few centimeters from the injury. The attacker was aiming for something, the artery in the shoulder. I thought back to when they taught us about treating wounds in training, they had said that if an artery was severed it spurt blood in intervals. I studied the wound for a good ten seconds. Confirming that the attacker had in fact missed their target, much to my relief. I firmly pressed my left hand to the cut underneath Naruto's armour. Using my right hand I helped Naruto into a sitting position and removed the armour.

"You doing okay?" I questioned, my gaze never leaving the hand covering the damage.

"Hurts like a bitch, but I think I'll be fine." Naruto replied, groaning as I removed the pressure of my hand.

I poured the alcohol that we received for emergencies such as these over the cut. Naruto was whimpering like a kicked puppy while biting his lip.

"I'm not treating your lip if you bite it off." I said looking into cerulean eyes.

Naruto pouted, looking like a five year old. I brought my hand up and poked him in the forehead with two fingers.

"Moron." I exclaimed.

Said moron tried to push me away, succeeding in causing himself more pain.

"Idiot, stop moving, you're gonna make it worse!" I yelled, becoming frustrated with him.

I ripped some fabric off of the kimono underneath my armour and wrapped it securely around Naruto's shoulder.

"Can you stand?" I asked him.

"Yeah, and I don't need you babying me." Naruto snapped.

He stood up while mumbling a few unnecessary choice words. He looked sturdy enough, so I suggested we go find the members of our group. We got a good fifty meters before Naruto had ungracefully fell to the ground, with many more choice words, might I add. I gave him an incoherent reply that included the likes of "moron" and "blockhead." Seeing that Naruto had yet to get up, I also collapsed onto the ground-gracefully-beside him.

"I. Am. So. Tired." Naruto stated and then proceeded to curl up on his side facing me.

As much as I wanted to go look for the others, I had to admit that I was pretty beat myself. I glanced out of the corner of my eye, a pfft sound escaping my lips as I saw Narutos sleeping form. I found the sight captivating. He looked so peaceful lying there in the grass, as if we weren't at war with the Tang Dynasty of China. The cool breezes making his blond hair flutter and reflect the golden rays of the sun. His golden brows pulled together in his sleep-or at least I thought he was asleep, up until he said the most absurd thing I have ever heard.

"Sasuke…" He drew out, "are you watching me?"

I froze and watched in horror as he slowly opened one eye.

"What the hell Sasuke." He deadpanned.

I did the only thing I knew how to do at times like these; I glared death at him. And he laughed. In. My. Face.

"Man, Sasuke," he said while stretching out onto his back, folding his arms beneath his head, "if looks could kill, you'd be a one man army."

Whilst continuing to burn a hole in Naruto's soul, I got up to go look for my Chokuto, which I had dropped in my rush to try to keep Naruto stabilized, which I had failed.

I was about fifteen meters away as I looked back and saw that Naruto was actually asleep this time. My head snapped around at the sound of a sword being drawn.

"Looking for this, little brother?" said a deep deadly toneless voice, one that I recalled from many years ago.

Five meters in front of me stood a man wearing neither enemy armour, nor armour like my own, holding my Chokuto. His long black hair tied back, and his face emotionless. Black eyes looking into mine. Many people would say we looked almost identical, and I would not blame them, for the man standing in front of me was my brother. Itachi Uchiha.

Just from looking at my brother I learned four things:

He was not dead

He was no longer a part of the Tang Dynasty army

He was rouge

I had no idea how I was supposed to kill him with out a weapon

Without thinking I screeched Naruto's name and started running towards him. I did not look back to see if Itachi was following.

When I reached Naruto he was already standing. I quickly grabbed the hilt of his Katana and pulled it out of its scabbard.

"What the h-" Was all Naruto could muster before he caught sight of Itachi and froze.

Naruto had never met my brother, but seeing Naruto's reaction, I'm sure he had a pretty good guess as to who was behind me.

Whipping around and pointing the sword at Itachi, I realized the he had yet to move form his spot and was now twenty meters away. _This is it,_ I thought, _if I'm gonna run, I have to run now. _

As if reading my mind, Itachi scoffed, "Having second thoughts, are we little brother?"

That settled it; this was ending here and now. Clenching my teeth I turned my head to Naruto.

"Naruto, run." I said

"No." He said flatly.

"Naruto, get out of here."

"No, I'm gonna help you."

"You're injured, Naruto." I reminded him.

"Don't care, I'm helping you." He stated.

"Get out."

"No."

"GET OUT!" I screamed and then ran head on towards my brother.

I made the first attack, a downward strike to the head but my brother easily sidestepped it and blocked my sword. He then tried to strike for my side where the armour was weak, but I found it to be hindered by a Tanto.

"Now, Now, little brother," Itachi proclaimed, "two against one isn't fair. Don't worry, I'll take care of it." He finished.

Itachi dropped his sword, came up behind Naruto and pressed something on his neck in a matter of seconds. I had no time to react before Naruto was on the ground and Itachi pressed the same pressure point on my neck. I blacked out.

I awoke in a dark room. There was one wall in the room the other three were bars, a prison cell. I don't know how long I was out. It might've been hours. It might've been days.

I glanced around the room; Naruto was nowhere to be seen. I did, however, find a small girl lying on the cement floor of a cell adjacent to mine. She was curled up in the fetal position, her back facing me, and wearing a white night gown that was frayed at the edges.

"Hey." I called quietly.

The girl stirred in her sleep.

"Wake up." I said in a loud whisper.

She slowly got up and turned around. She looked ten, maybe eleven years old. I noticed how fragile her body looked. It was almost skin and bone. She gave me an expectant look.

"What's your name?" I asked hoarsely.

"Nozomi, and yours is Sasuke." She said.

"How do you know my name?"

"This blond guy was calling for you when they put you in here. They had to move him to a confined cell."

_So Naruto was alive. Good. _

Nozomi stood up and came over to the bars. She slipped through a slightly larger gap into my cell and sat down in front of me.

"I can help you get out and find your friend."

"How?" I asked.

Again she stood and walked towards the wall of bars with the locked door.

"You pull these bars apart so I can slip through them. Then I'll grab the keys," She pointed down the hall, and sure enough there was a set of keys on a ring hanging on the wall, "and unlock the door so you can get out."

"How do I know that you wont just leave?" I questioned.

"Sasuke, I'm ten and malnourished, I doubt I'll get very far with the guards chasing me."

"Hn." Was my response.

I rose from my sitting position on the ground and walked over to the rusted bars. I inspected the bars for a weaker looking one, when I found it I wedged my right shoulder in between the two bars. I grabbed the weaker one that was facing me with both hands and pushed out, using the bar behind my shoulder for support. Soon enough the weak rusted bar began to bend, becoming more malleable. I stopped and moved out of the way once there was about a foot of space between the two bars. Nozomi scampered over and slipped through the gap. I watched as she padded over to the keys on bare feet and back to the locked door. She stuck one of the five keys into the keyhole and turned it. Nothing happened. She tried another one, but it ended in the same result. It wasn't until the fourth key that we heard a click and the door swung open.  
I walked to the door, but before I could pass through the exit Nozomi stopped me with a raised hand.

"Take off your armour, it's to loud."

I made an annoyed sigh as I removed all my armour and shoes, leaving me in a black kimono that matched my hair. I joined Nozomi out in the hall way and we started to walk.

"The confined cells are down this hall and around the corner." She said, voice hushed.

As we came to the end of one hall I peeked around the corner, there were no guards in sight. _Strange. _What was even stranger was that my Chokuto was lying on the ground in the middle of the hall.

"No…" I pled in disbelief.

"But yes, little brother, is this not what you wanted?" A smooth and sinister voice coaxed.

Turing around I saw a man lurking in the shadows of the dim hallway. Nozomi started towards me. In a flash my brother was behind her, the point of a sword glinted evilly in the dim lighting as it pierced through her middle the life leaving her frail body. Blood soaking through her nightgown. White camellias stained red.

I grabbed for my sword that was lying on the dirty gray cement floor, tears silently streaming down my cheeks. That was the last thing I remembered before everything turned red.

When I came to Itachi was standing in front of me at the end of my sword. He had multiple cuts on his face and arms. It'd looked like I had stabbed him in the thigh too.

"You've done well little brother." He said in a proud voice.

He reached inside of his midnight blue kimono and pulled out a key, tossing it in front of a door down the hallway.

"Your blond friend is in there. I'm glad you befriended him, I know he can take care of you." He went on.

I stood in shock. What was happening? Did my brother just imply that he was proud of me? What?

"Why?" my voice quavered.

"I wanted to make you stronger, the best way to do that was for you to defeat me. I've always loved you Sasuke, no matter how much you've hated me."

Still standing in shock, Itachi took hold of the sword blade and pointed it at his heart.

"Kill me Sasuke."

Keeping my watering eyes locked with my older brother I plunged the blade into his chest, watching as the life left his onyx eyes, a proud but sad smile on his lips. I fell to the ground beside his lifeless body, tears flowing from my eyes as I silently cried.

I whipped my head around at that crashing noises followed by a few cusses behind me, watching as Naruto stumbled out of a cell wearing only his sky blue kimono. I gave a halfhearted "moron" as he fell flat on his face and then awkwardly scrambled over to me, pulling me in to a hug.

We sat in silence for a few more minutes until Naruto pulled back and started to stand up, dragging me with him.

"How'd you get out of there?" I inquired.

"Picked the lock with this." Naruto said, holding out a small knife.

I walked over to Nozomi's lifeless body and knelt beside it, brushing her blond-almost white-hair out of her face.

"Who's this?" Naruto asked gently.

"Nozomi," I answered softly, "she helped me escape."

Silently, Naruto gingerly picked up her small body and started to walk toward the exit. I follow, a bit confused by his actions.

"I didn't think we should just leave her there," Naruto put in, sensing my confusion, "She looks like she was a lively girl, it seems unfitting to leave her in that dark and dreary prison."

I didn't reply, too busy lost in thought of the young sarcastic girl that gave me hope. She was very lively indeed.

The evening sunlight met us as we exited the prison, our eyes squinting from the change in lighting. Naruto lay Nozomi down in the grass, adjusting her hands so they lay over the puncture on her stomach; concealing it.

"Thank you." I heard Naruto say softly to her, barely audible.

Naruto and I stood watching the fiery sun descend behind the horizon for the night. The sky erupting into a tapestry of colors, breezes whispering as the flowers danced in the grass that waved like an ocean over the rolling hills.

It was over. The battle had been won. Japan had retreated. And my hope was gone.

おわり

Owari

End

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**A/N: **So thats the end of the story. I hoped you all liked it! My original plan was to have Sasuke and Naruto commit suicide in the end because they lost their hope (get it?) but i couldn't bring myself to do it and i thought i would be a little too much. Also I would probably have to rename it _The Story Where Everyone Dies _so yeah.

constructive criticism is always appreciated! And please let me know if you think I should up the rating.


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